Since everyone and their little sister feels compelled to create their own NBA mock draft this year, I figure it's a pretty good idea to stay far, far away from doing the same.
It's boring. It's arrogant. And most of all, it's going to be completely wrong—even if you're Chad Ford and think you know everything (except feel obliged to make 400 mocks anyway...you know, to cover all the bases).
Regardless, I love the NBA draft. It's one of my favorite things of the year to watch, and I felt like saying something on the subject—and you can't stop me.
So I figure I'd apply my healthy supply of college basketball knowledge to an honest list of prospects I like and hate...and one who doesn't really fit into either category, but who I've got strong feelings about anyway.
Guys I Like
Michael Beasley
Yes, I'm aware that he went to enough high schools—six—to satisfy each child of the Brady Bunch, or each of Larry King's wives. And yeah, he seems like a bit of a cocky moron sometimes.
But I followed the Big XII pretty closely last year, and, um, he was kind of the best player in it. By a lot.
Look, I don't care if he's 6'10", 6'7", or 5'3", the guy can flat-out ball. 26.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg just do not lie, especially in the competitive Big XII.
He dropped 39 points in Lawrence against the to-be-NCAA champion Jayhawks, and they have, what, five future NBAers? And you mean to tell me he can't do that to Excremento...excuse me, Sacramento?
Another thing he's got going for him is that cocky attitude. Sure, it's probably gonna rub some NBA fans the wrong way, but if I'm not mistaken, there's a certain Chicago Bulls legend who was never exactly a candidate for sportsman of the year, either (relax, I'm not making any comparisons).
Beasley is likely to tell you that he's gonna drop 40 on you, and then do it just to make himself look good.
In my mind, what's the real difference between Mike Beasley and Kevin Durant, last year's draft darling? They're similar in size (Beasley actually has the better, stronger NBA body), dropped similar numbers against the same competition (again, Beasley gets the advantage with slightly better stats against a slightly stronger league), and seem to have the same basketball IQ.
Beasley's a better defender overall too, and he somehow gets about 1/10th of the love KD got. God, I could do an entire article on this comparison. But I digress.
Beasley is damn good, end of question. Pencil him in for 25 and 9 for twelve years.
O.J. Mayo
O.K., so he's not going to be the perennial MVP and all-world player that he was projected to be in the seventh grade, when the rest of us were scraping our knees in our backyards and trading Pokemon cards. He probably won't even be an All-Star. But besides Beasley, he's the best in this class.
He's got good size for either guard position. He's got naturally crisp offensive skills and a chance to be a truly game-changing defender.
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